sloscheider

I removed the hammer head assembly and shaft then laid the frame down on my trailer. The ride home was uneventful. The front bearing is broken so I expect I'll be learning how to pour babbit all the other bearing surfaces were healthy but by the look of the bad one the shaft was out of alignment causing uneven wear.

.....plus hammers with wooden handles are a lot harder to find for me so far. Any advice would be appreciated thanks.

....where you get your hammers?

....and now I'm looking for a suitable replacement while I use my largest ballpein hammer.

I used the FaceBook sign in method for the first time last night and accidentally created a new account

Thanks for all the input everyone!

No need to remove the shaft. Lifting by C frame is great.I WOULD put down a pallet first. Then the tires. The pallet lets you get under it when it comes time to unload...

Well you asked for the best way so "Call a rigger and start shoveling cash!"

I've never moved one "the best way" myself till my 1500 mile move where I had to have my shop moved without me being there. (And the truck fell through the first time and all my stuff spent 2 weeks on pallets being rained on---ARGH)

Pep moved a 50# LG as I recall with a simple cherry picker with a bracket fabbed to fit in the top of the C and an air powered lift system. Impressive in it's ease and simplicity!

I don't like laying em' down, if you have good chain w/ binders,or 2"wide ratchet straps AND good hard points at each corner, I say leave it up. arrange the chain, straps to pass through the throat (just below the dies) and to each corner. If you think you got more tie down chains than needed, think again, It's far better to use more than you think you need, especially if they're just cluttering up the back of the truck. Careful you don't tweak the trailer though. I wouldn't take it apart. Test the lift by picking the hammer up say 2" off the ground, if you can't, the truck is tipping.......forget that. If you can lift 2" get on the hammer and bounce, If that rocks the hammer/truck........forget that, If it's stable you're probly good to go.
The biggest hammer I've moved to date was a Beaudry #8, 200lb, upright. Big hammers are never laid flat, why do that with the smaller? Unless you have to.
That' my 2 cents worth.............mb

Interesting, Why won't it carry less than 900 pounds? Seems like the rating would be 0 - 1000 pounds!

why use the light duty trailer?

It would seem safer in the back of the truck. I moved my 25 in the back of my little nissan pick up and the hammer and the truck were both fine.

And don't mess with it too much - don't take a grinder to it or anything crazy like that.... leave it alone and post some photos, perhaps tell us what your plans are. You want to do some smithing yourself or just looking for a value and plan to sell it?

Post measurements as well - length, height, width, dimensions of the rectangular surface, etc...

I always figured the lever type forges were made for folks who were used to bellows and didn't like the idea of a hand crank - they are somewhat rare so I wouldn't be too quick to sell it even after you move on to another forge. I've got a "railroad" type of lever forge - a rectangular shaped pan about 2' x 3' that I got more for fun than practical use. I like the curves in the wheel and simply the way it works.

It looks like you've got yourself a nice piece of machinery :)

A brand new 30,000 btu "garage heater" will set you back about $150 from a Menards, Home Depot or many hardware stores. They are odorless and over 99% efficient - no vent required and most garages / shops are leaky enough to supply fresh air. Absolutely have a CO detector even just for your forge work - get the kind with a digital display that shows peak levels even if the aren't enough to sound an immediate alarm. In most states they are even acceptable for use inside your home. The one I bought came with both LP and Natural gas connections so it would work with whatever you have available.

Check out this book: A Blacksmithing Primer as a handy and well written book if you like books.

I prefer coal for fuel - again, knowing where you are someone can tell you where to get some from a club or vendor.

When you say you have all the tools you need - what do you have? You may have things you should set aside until later so you can keep things simple for now. You really don't need much...

Look in the yellow pages for your local farrier and give him or her a call. They might know of some other blacksmiths in the area.

Ya, it may not work as well as more elaborate schemes but like the bolt in the pritchel hole you can just take a length, perhaps 10 inches, of 3/8 rod and bend it into a U shape and place it so one end is in the pritchel hole and the other hanging over the edge of the anvil - it'll take a big bite out of the ring and it's simple.

You didn't do too bad the first time I tried to build a fire I never got the coal to light

I couldn't tell what kind of a blower you have - I find that when I'm starting a fire I vary the air flow depending on what's happening with the fire. I've heard that in the old days an apprentice would spend weeks or months just working the fire before they ever got to pound metal.

The first coal I got wasn't ever sticky but I got the next batch from a local club and it was the sticky variety - they both worked equally well, it just took some getting used to...

very nice!

use it but look for another one to replace it. You've got an artifact on your hands; be gentle.

If there is no pritchell hole, it was made before about 1790-1795.

I would say it depends on your personality - it's a fair price for a Whisper Moma. Do you just want to get to the task of smithing or do you enjoy the process of making the tools you need to do the job? If you just want to get to it then buy the forge and start hammering otherwise do your research and take the time to build your own and then start hamming

I think it's a good value - not too expensive but not really a bargain either. I agree with BigFootNampa, the edges are fine - the heat from welding up the edges could ruin the hardness of the face - imho, leave it alone.

i just recently took over my grandfathers home..i remember sweeing this old funny looking(and heavy) thing in the basement..i found out its an anvil...i remember it 30 years ago and i know it was down there many years before that...is this worth anything??

Are you certain you have 3 phase power?

Go get it - if nothing else it'll fetch you a nice profit if/when you sell it in a few years - the writing on the side is remarkably legible!

Rob-o you don't say where in SC. In the past yr I have gotten 2 H-Bs a 142lb in greenville and a 88lb at the Chesnee flea market. $310 total price. Don't be in a big hurry. Have found 2 vulcans 2 mouseholes 2 hay buddens and a trenton within 100 miles
of Asheville.
Ken

Where have you looked so far and what have you found and for how much? Is it fair to say that $350 is your ballpark budget?

Very nice :)

Very nice wide mouth.

I have the single burner Tabasco and run it at about 3 psi for normal forging and around 10 for welding

You may already know this but if the bulbs are still intact BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THEM - they are high pressure bulbs (I believe it's filled with Xenon) and the glass is optically pure so it won't show up on an x-ray meaning they'll have to find the glass by you telling them where it hurts.... I was next to a lamp house when the bulb exploded upon startup - this was a 5,000 watt bulb and sounded like a shotgun! It completely shattered the large mirror behind it. When we changed the bulbs we wore a full face shield and a chest protector.

I have a Tabasco from Chile Forge that is wonderfully portable and typically runs at around 3 - 4 psi (higher for welding heat). Overall I've been happy with it.

he may get that price from a collector depending on condition and brand / rarity - ebay would be his best route if that's his goal. As noted above, selling it to a smith for regular use will likely get at most $2 per lb.

Perhaps you;ve said it in another post but what will you be doing in this new forge? Depending on what you're doing you may really like a nice wide side opening forge - if you're only doing blades or other long straight things then and end opening forge is great. If you're used to working with coal you've had the luxury of being able to put nearly any shape object into the file at any point you like but with a gas forge you may not be able to fit the middle part in there once you've bent it.

I would suggest you determine your intended use of the forge - then you;ll know which style to purchase regardless of brand.

Keep in mind this thread is nearly a year old - as he said, it's been working for nearly a year

What a great setup! Very nice :)